Georgia (11-0, 8-0) and in-state rival Georgia Tech (6-5, 3-2) will renew Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate this Saturday.
The No. 1 Bulldogs are coming off a 38-10 dismantling of then-ranked No. 21 Tennessee, while the Yellow Jackets defeated Syracuse 31-22 and became bowl-eligible for the first time since 2018.
Georgia has won a program record 28 straight games heading into Saturday’s matchup against Georgia Tech.
“A lot of respect for (Georgia Tech coach) Brent Key and his staff. I’ve known Brent for a long time. He played at Tech when I played here. His staff does a great job. There are several guys on his staff that we have worked with before, a lot of overlap,” UGA head coach Kirby Smart said. “I think we’re both very grateful for a state of high school football in Georgia that provides both of us with a lot of good football players. He’s done a tremendous job this year. Buster (Faulker’s) done a tremendous job for them, and Kevin (Sherrer) taking over the defense kind of midstream there, he’s done a good job.”
The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 70-39-5 over the Yellow Jackets. They have also won five straight. While the rivalry hasn’t been as competitive in the last decade, Smart still thinks of Georgia Tech as a foe.
“Geographically, they’re close. They’re in our state. You’re playing for something every time you play them because you’re playing for a state championship, so it’s important,” Smart said of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. “They do a good job. It’s the next opponent. I don’t rank them any higher than anybody else because I look at all the games as rivalries. I let everybody else debate what’s the highest. I don’t get into those comparisons, but a lot of respect for Brent (Key) and the job they do.”
The Yellow Jackets are much improved in Key’s first full season as head coach. They’ve won some huge ACC games this season by knocking off Miami (Florida), Syracuse, and North Carolina.
Haynes King, a Texas A&M transfer, commands an offense that averages 31.9 points per game. He’s passed for 2,597 yards and 26 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 624 yards and seven scores.
“I talked about it earlier, they have a quarterback that can run the ball, which gets you an extra hat in it. He’s really fast and really athletic, he happens to throw the ball well, too. (Haynes King) has speed on the perimeter,” Smart said. “They have gone out and gotten some really good, fast receivers, some through the portal, some through the high school ranks, that are playing at a high level.”
Defensively, Georgia Tech has struggled. The Yellow Jackets are giving up 30.5 points and an average of 438.5 yards per game. However, they’ve improved as the year has gone on.
Ever since Sherrer officially took over as defensive coordinator, Georgia Tech has been on an upward trend. The Yellow Jackets’ defense is just transitioning into playing under him.
“I think Kevin (Sherrer), having worked with him before, we all know that games turn on explosive plays and turnovers,” Smart said. “You’ve got to find ways to get those. They’ve been disruptive doing that. I know how hard Kevin and them work on it, just like we do, and they’ve been able to capitalize on those things. That turnover margin is one of the biggest stats out there.”
Georgia and Georgia Tech will kick off Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.